


Since You've Been Gone

by psychosocial_ish



Category: Ghost Adventures (TV), Ghost Adventures RPF
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Complicated Relationships, Depression, Flashbacks, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Secret Relationship, Secrets, Separation, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 04:12:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8042140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychosocial_ish/pseuds/psychosocial_ish
Summary: The investigations aren't like they used to be...





	1. Chapter 1

It was one a.m. With the darkness surrounding him, Zak’s only companions would be the spirits that were in the room. Aaron was three floors above him (Zak was on the fifth), while Billy and Jay were on the fourth and third floors of the building. Of course, they all had their walkie talkies and cell phones, but Zak couldn’t help but feel so alone. He felt the presence of the spirits inhabiting this room, but he still felt so desperately alone. Though no one would talk about it, the crew all knew why Zak had changed…  
Nick wasn’t there. He couldn’t be there. They didn’t talk anymore. But Zak still woke up every day with the same feeling of pain and emptiness in his chest, as if there was an enormous hole that kept growing bigger each time he noticed the pain there. It’s been this way for two years, and though Zak reminded himself that he still had Aaron, Billy, Jay, his family, his friends, and the fans, it wasn’t enough. He needed Nick. And now that he was gone he realized just how badly he needed the younger man...  
The room suddenly felt cold as Zak was jolted from his thoughts by a knock on the wall next to him. He breathed, calming himself as to not aggravate his respiratory problems. “Can you do that again?” he asked the presence. “Can you tell me your name?”  
There was a static building in the air, one he often felt before very frightening experiences. He began to look around himself frantically before he began to speak quietly towards the camera that had been positioned in front of him. “There’s an energy building in here… It feels like when you’re touching a TV after you turn it on. Ya know, that staticky feeling?”  
Pushing his glasses back up on his nose, Zak looked up to the ceiling and asked the presence, “I promise I’m not going to hurt you… Can you talk to me?”  
The room went quiet, an unnatural quiet. His hair stood on end and he felt as though if he tried to speak there would be dire consequences. He listened intently, closing his eyes, and felt a burst of cold air near his neck and a female shriek.  
“STOP!”  
Zak let out a cry, hiding his head beneath his arms, closing in on himself. “Nick! Nick, where are you?!”  
_The Goldfield Hotel. They had been separated, screaming for each other in sheer terror. He felt the cold sweat on his brow, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. He shouted continuously for his co-investigator, and could hear him shouting back for him. “Nick?!” ___  
_“Zak! Zak”! ___  
Feeling hands on his shoulders pulling him out of the flashback, Zak’s eyes jolted open and he saw Billy standing in front of him. “Zak! Snap out of it! Zak! Zak!”  
Falling silent, the raven-haired man looked into the older man’s eyes. He could feel tears running down his cheeks. “I did it again, didn’t I?” Taking off his glasses, Zak wiped at his eyes and replaced them. He looked down at his hands in his lap.  
Billy sighed, sitting down next to the lead investigator. “It’s been two years, man.”  
“I know.” Zak sniffled, picking up his digital recorder and turning it off. He didn’t want their conversation to be recorded, but he hoped desperately that the voice of the female spirit had been captured.  
“Maybe you should take a break.”  
“No.” Zak put his head in his hands.  
Putting a hand on the younger man’s shoulder, Billy proposed, “Then at least try talking to him.”  
_“No.” ___  
Billy rested the back of his head against the wall. “I don’t know what else to say, bro. I don’t know what else will help you.”  
“Let’s just get out of this room, okay? I’m freaked the fuck out.” Zak’s hands shook as he gestured towards the door and stood.  
“Okay, dude, okay. We’ll get out.” Billy stood up after him, looking to his left. He spotted the camera and made a mental note to edit the footage as he walked towards it, turning it off. “Are you gonna go back to base camp?”  
Zak leaned against the doorway, sighing as his back pressed against the wooden frame. “I guess… Maybe I’ll just chill in the truck.” Zak looked at the ground. He hated that he would be having to say this again. “We should probably stop the investigation.”  
“What?!” Billy nearly shouted, shocked beyond belief.  
“I just can’t do it, Billy. What do you want me to say?”  
“This is the fourth investigation in a row where you’ve said that you ‘just can’t do it.’ The fourth one!” Billy whispered harshly. He cared about Zak. They were close friends and Billy worried about him, but his frustrations with how immature he was acting regarding Nick was soon to become the straw that would break the camel’s back.  
Aaron poked his head in and spoke just as Jay turned up in the doorway behind him. “Are you guys okay? I could hear Zak screaming bloody murder from three floors up.” Aaron had also heard the small quarrel between his two friends, but decided it was better not to bring it up.  
“Yeah, we’re fine… It was just this crazy experience.” Zak said, putting on his “face.”  
Jay stood awkwardly behind Aaron, trying to find something to say, and decided some comic relief would be appropriate for the tenseness that he felt in the room but couldn’t for the life of him think of anything.  
Billy looked towards Jay, sensing the man’s nervousness and smiled at him, his eyes gentle, and Jay was relieved slightly, nodding back at the older man.  
“So should we go back to base camp?” Jay finally spoke, breaking the silence, “It’s only one-thirty, but maybe we could just regroup and come up with a plan of attack?”  
The other three men all looked at each other and shrugged. Billy could sense Zak’s eagerness to get out of the investigation itself in any way that he could and it made him flush with anger.  
“I don’t see a reason why not.” Aaron said.  
“Alright,” Zak said enthusiastically, “Let’s get back to base.” He began walking out the door, followed by Jay and Aaron.  
Billy sighed as he watched his three fellow investigators. He looked down at the floor. Another failed investigation, and all because Zak couldn’t recognize that he and Nick had both screwed up.  
He reluctantly followed the three men back down to base camp, where they all mutually agreed to stop the investigation for fear of a physical attack on Zak.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go out on the town. Unbeknownst to Zak, they have an ulterior motive...

Boys’ nights usually didn’t occur the night after an investigation, but they began happening more since the investigations became shorter and the men all felt that a drunk Zak was better than a depressed Zak. They all had their feelings about the way things had been going on the past two years, but none of them felt brave enough to actually voice their opinions for fear of conjuring up the devil in their lead investigator.  
But there was one thing that Aaron, Billy, and Jay all agreed on. Nick and Zak had been through too much together to go on like they have been. It was ridiculous, childish, and unprofessional. The paranormal field isn’t respected enough as it is, but with this feud and how popular Ghost Adventures was with Nick and his sudden departure sans explanation, the team was now considered an even bigger joke than the idea of ghosts. Something needed to be done, and quick.  
And that’s what this boys’ night was for.   
The Las Vegas Strip was the spot at this hour, when the sky was like a black blanket over the city, and let its lights shine brighter than the sun during the day. Everything and everyone was illuminated in the golden, blue, and red glows coming from every angle, and when under the influence of the right stuff— for the four men, it was usually just beer and a few shots of patrón— the cold air was welcomed as it embraced and kissed their fevered, flushed skin.   
They sauntered into their favourite bar that was attached to The Flamingo Hotel and Casino, but decided it would be best to keep Zak away from the blackjack tables tonight, considering they would be having quite an intimate conversation while Zak was good and tipsy. Plus, a room with a clock would be nice.  
Sitting down at the bar, Billy made an announcement, having to shout over the roar of the packed room and the music. “Zak, we’re ordering for you!”  
“Shit,” the raven haired man laughed, prompting amused reactions from his three friends, “What the fuck did I get myself into?!”  
“Don’t worry,” Aaron said, clapping a hand on Zak’s shoulder, “we’ll take care of ya! We’re not gonna get drunk, bro! Gotta have a designated driver or two!”  
Billy signaled to the bartender and ordered four beers and two shots of patrón, which prompted Zak to ask, “Who’s doing shots with me?”  
“No one! You’re doing the shots!” Jay shouted over the noise, taking his beer.  
“Oohh, no you don’t!” Zak exclaimed.  
“Oh-ho yes we do, bro!” laughed Aaron, pushing the shots and a beer towards the younger man. “Yes we do!”  
Zak shook his head, but picked up one of the shot glasses and shouted with a sort of glee that the others hadn’t seen from him in a while, “To the four greatest friends I’ve ever had!” and downed the liquor in one gulp.   
The other men looked at each other. There were only three of them here… Was Nick really on his mind that much?  
“Whoo!” the blue-eyed man exclaimed, “I’ll never get used to this shit! This is why I barely drink anymore!” He laughed as he picked up the next shot and downed it, not noticing the way his friends were looking at him and each other.  
“How about you switch to beer now? Don’t need you falling and cracking your skull open, dude!” Billy said.  
“Yes, Dad!” Zak laughed, drinking his beer deeply, which made the three men also remember another reason Zak didn’t drink anymore… When he drank, it was usually to forget things. But it never worked. He remembered everything.  
“Why is it so fucking loud in here? It’s like a club!” Aaron exclaimed.  
“Friday nights, man! You know how it is!” Jay answered.  
Zak hadn’t had alcohol in his system for so long it seemed that he was turning into a lightweight again. He spat to the bartender in his worst British accent, “Bahtendah! Anothah two shots!”  
Billy gave an apologetic look towards the bartender, who sighed and shook his head as a chuckle escaped him. He placed two shots of the strong liquor in front of Zak, who thanked him generously before downing them one after the other. 

Nearly two hours and four more shots later, as well as another glass of beer, Zak was nearly on the floor laughing at nothing. The three men all helped to hoist him up onto his feet.  
“Alright, Zak, time to go home!” Aaron said gently. Drunk Zak was not only happy, agreeable Zak, but baby Zak.  
“But I don’t wanna go home yet, Aaron!” Zak protested, laughing again.  
“No no, little buddy,” Billy said, “We gotta take you home! We have a surprise for you!” They began to lead him out of the bar towards the entrance.   
“Sursprise?” Zak slurred, “For me? Aww, ya shouldn’t have, guys!”  
Jay opened the door for Billy and Aaron, who led their drunk out to the cold night air, hoping that it wouldn’t sober him up too much.  
“We wanted to, G!” Aaron insisted, “Don’t worry about it!”  
Helping him into the back seat of the car, Billy and Aaron sat on either side of Zak while Jay got into the driver’s seat and started up the van.  
“You guys are the bestest friends ever, ya know that?” Zak said in a sing-song voice.  
“Yes, Zak, we know.” Billy said, patting his shoulder.  
“That bar was so loud… I’m glad we gotted out.” Zak laughed deep in his throat, his voice cracking. He rested his head on Aaron’s shoulder and sighed, closing his eyes and smiling contently.  
The drive went smoothly, except for Zak’s occasional random bursts of singing “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips horrifically out of tune, much to the amusement of the other three, who would join him in song to keep him from bursting into tears. Again, drunk, happy Zak was also baby Zak.  
“Okay, we’re home, little guy.” Aaron said as Jay pulled into Zak’s driveway. “Time to get out.”  
“I’m comfy though.” Zak whined, pulling Aaron closer.  
“But you have a surprise waiting in there for you.” Billy said sweetly.  
Immediately jumping up, Zak scrambled over Aaron’s lap and opened the door, falling to the pavement. Jay ran to his side to make sure he hadn’t hurt himself.   
“I didn’t hit my head! I’m okay!” Zak said as he stood and smiled brightly. He turned to step onto the grass lawn but tripped over his own feet, landing with a thud face-down in the grass. Above the laughter that ensued, Zak called out “I’m still okay!”  
Billy and Jay bent down to help the raven haired man to his feet, grasping him under the arms. “Okay, buddy,” Billy said, “Up and at ‘em.”  
“Uppity uppity.” Zak sang to himself, laughing as he was brought to his feet.   
Aaron took the keys from Zak’s jacket pocket and opened the door. Once inside, Zak called for Gracie, who came running to greet the four men as they sat on the couch.  
“Where’s my surprise, Bill?” Zak asked as Gracie took her place in his lap. He patted her head absentmindedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know these chapters are short, and they probably all will be. I don't even know how long this will be. I'm already working on the 3rd and 4th chapters. They'll be up soon!! I really hope you guys all enjoy reading this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Intervention time.

Billy looked from their lead investigator to Aaron, who looked to Jay, who looked back at Billy. “Listen, dude,” the older man said, “When we said we had a surprise, we didn’t actually mean an object. It’s not something you can hold.”  
“Yet.” Jay added, prompting Aaron to jab him in the rib with his elbow.  
Sighing, Billy continued, “We wanted to talk to you about the… situation.”  
Zak’s brow furrowed in confusion as he looked between his three friends. “What situation?” He suddenly felt a bit more sober, the flush draining from his face. “Is Travel Channel cutting our pay for the shortened investigations?”  
“No,” Aaron interjected, “Nothing like that, man. Travel Channel doesn’t care as long as we have an hour of footage.” Aaron stood, grabbing four waters from the kitchen.  
A wave of relief washed over the raven haired man as he let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in. “Then what’s going on?”  
“I think you know, G,” Billy said, “You just don’t want to say it outloud.”  
Zak felt his stomach drop through the floor. “You’re not making me talk to him.”  
“No, we’re not,” Jay spoke up, “You’re going to do that on your own.”  
“And until you do that,” Aaron said as he sat next to Jay, setting the water bottles down on the table in front of them, “we’re stopping the investigations. You can do them on your own.”  
Wide-eyed, the lead investigator stood, wobbling a bit, but obviously more in his right mind. “You can’t make me do this! You know I can’t do this on my own! I need you guys!”  
“It doesn’t matter, bro,” Billy said, “Travel Channel agrees with us. The way you two are acting towards each other is really childish.”  
“Plus, you’re throwing shade on social media,” Jay added, “The Zak we know wouldn’t ever do that to someone we all know he still cares about.”  
“Why shouldn’t I be ‘throwing shade?’” said the raven haired man, throwing his hands in the air. “I can’t believe you guys are doing this!”  
“It’s been two years, dude!” Aaron shouted, finally putting his two cents in, getting in Zak’s face for the first time in a very long time, “We’re sacrificing our time and energy into making sure that your ass is taken care of and isn’t around town sleeping with every girl that crosses your path! You sit in this house and sulk and whine all day long, and we have to take care of you and make sure that you don’t do anything stupid!”  
Jay put a hand on Aaron’s shoulder, seeing that the man was slowly losing control of himself, and pulled him back slightly. In response, Aaron sat on the couch again, looking towards Gracie as he took in and released even breaths. She moved towards the older man, sitting between his legs, and he began to pet her head.  
Zak sat back down slowly. He had no idea what to say. Aaron’s anger had been a total shock. He really hadn’t been thinking about how this feud was affecting his friends. He hadn’t even noticed some of the behavioral changes that he was going through himself. What else was going through his friends’ heads about this?  
Billy put a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Zak, we know you still care about him. You’ve been through so much together. It’s impossible that you would hate him.”  
Looking at the ground, Zak tried to let everything soak in as much as he could. He was still drunk, but he had sobered up enough to know that this was some serious stuff they were throwing at him. But how in the hell could he talk to Nick after everything that had happened? They’d said so many things that neither of them thought they could ever come back from or apologize for. But, in the end, what the guys said was true. Zak and Nick were being childish. Something needed to be done about this. Even if the ties had been completely severed, things need to be left on a good note. But Zak also knew that Nick was very different from him. He wasn’t as impulsive. He thought things through and made decisions with a rational mind rather than an emotional one, and was also much more forgiving when it came to certain people. But that may not matter now, not after the things that had been said.  
“I… I don’t know what to say.” Zak finally responded.  
“Just please try to talk to him, bro.” Aaron pleaded.  
Looking deep into his friend’s eyes, Zak found the support he needed. He did the same to Billy and Jay, and finally answered, “Okay… I’ll try tomorrow.”  
The three men all sighed happily, smiling, to which Zak replied, “But I can’t do it on my own… I need you guys.” Zak felt his eyes welling.  
“We’re always there for ya, bro, you know that.” Aaron said, pulling the younger man into a tight hug and rubbing soothing circles on his back. “I’m sorry for getting so out of control like that… I just… I needed to get it through to you somehow and I was so frustrated.”  
“No, I understand… I’ve been a pretty big douche lately…” He sniffled, wiping at his eyes under his glasses as he let out a small chuckle.  
“Well you’re not going to be alone. Ever.” said Jay, patting the older man’s shoulder.  
There was a short silence as everyone allowed everything that had happened to soak in. The three men never thought that this night would get anywhere even if Zak was drunk. But the fact that he agreed to try speaking to Nick again proved what they were thinking: Zak still cared about him.  
Billy finally spoke up. “I think you should drink some water, take an aspirin, and go get some sleep.”  
Zak nodded and asked quietly, “Will one of you guys stay here with me tonight?”  
“Ashley is gonna kill me if I’m not home before 2 a.m. so…” Jay said, rubbing the back of his neck.  
“I don’t know if you’d want me to stay, what with my little outburst earlier.” Aaron chuckled.  
“Why wouldn’t I want you to stay? We’ve said and done worse things to each other.” Zak replied. “We forgive and forget.”  
Billy stepped in, “And that’s exactly what we’re going to discuss tomorrow. Go to bed.” He knew that this could only get worse if Zak stayed up too much longer. He may change his mind. Billy pushed the younger man towards the stairs leading to his bedroom as he turned towards Aaron, “If you won’t stay, I can. It’s alright.”  
“I’ll stay, Bill.” Aaron said.  
“Okay. Get this one to bed. We’ll see you guys tomorrow.”  
Hugging tightly and saying their goodnights, the four men split for the night, Billy and Jay going home to their wives, and Aaron going to Zak’s guest bedroom after helping him get cleaned up.

As he lay looking up at the ceiling, Zak couldn’t help but feel his stomach churn. How in the hell was he going to talk to Nick after so long? It would be awkward, but he hoped and prayed to God that they could forgive each other for the things they did and said. It wasn’t going to be easy on Zak’s part, but with Nick it was much more difficult to decipher. He could forgive very easily with certain people, and Zak had been one of those people when they were still on good terms with each other.  
He reached for his phone, unlocking it and looking through his texts. He still had Nick’s number saved. He read the last texts that they had sent each other.  
_I can’t do this anymore, Zak._  
_Fine. Then don’t._  
He knew it would be best not to read any further up to what had happened prior...  
Finally closing his eyes after what seemed like an eternity, Zak decided that he would be okay no matter how it turned out. He had his three friends still. They wouldn’t leave him. Somewhere, somewhere deep down, Nick missed him. He knew he did. Because Zak missed him just as much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. My. God. I'm sorry about the short chapters. I promise I'll try to add more detail in the upcoming ones. Working on 4 and 5 right now. I hope you guys are enjoying this!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zak gets some help from the guys and makes progress.

A scream, a bark, and a bang at 6 a.m. was how the next morning started for Aaron. “Shit!” Running to Zak’s room, thoughts ran through his head faster than he was moving. Was he being attacked? Had something pulled him out of his bed again? He only hoped that his worst fears hadn’t come true. Bursting into the room, he found the younger man curled up in a corner, hugging his dog close to his chest, his blankets strewn about the bed.   
Aaron bent down close, putting his hands on either side of Zak’s face, and wiped away a few tears with his thumbs. He thought of Zak as a younger brother and was a bit more physically intimate than people thought when the cameras weren’t rolling. “What happened, man?”  
Tears rolled down Zak’s cheeks as he hyperventilated, trying desperately to calm himself. “Nightmare.” he whispered.  
“It’s okay,” Aaron said, holding Zak close to himself and smoothing his hand over his back, “It can’t hurt you.”  
“I opened my eyes and it was still there.” Zak whispered again.   
“Wanna talk about it?” Aaron pulled back to look at the younger man, still rubbing his shoulder.  
Taking a deep breath, the raven haired man explained his nightmare. “I just… I was thinking about what I have to do today when I went to bed. That I have to try talking to him. And it makes me so scared to think about it. I don’t want to lose him forever, Aaron.”  
“I don’t think you will. You guys have been through too much to just throw all of that away.” Aaron consoled. He truly believed it in his heart that these two were meant to be in each others lives.   
“Thanks, dude…” He breathed, wiping his eyes and holding Gracie close with his arm. “He showed up at the door… He smiled at me and we hugged. I can’t even remember what he said but it was something like an apology, so I apologized, too, ya know?” He sniffled, wiping his nose against his arm, much to Aaron’s amusement. Zak lightly smacked his arm. “Ugh… He came inside and we sat on the couch, just started talking. I looked down for one second. One second. And when I looked up…” His face contorted as more tears threatened to spill over, but he blinked them back. “He was a demon, Aaron.”  
Aaron sighed, squeezing Zak’s shoulder. “Dude… How many dreams have you had where someone was a demon?”  
“I don’t even know… Like, four? Anyways… He just… He lunged at me and his eyes were on fire and he… He said things that I can’t even…” He buried his face in Gracie’s neck. “Oh, God…” Gracie whined, prompting Zak to whisper to her, “Papa’s okay, baby.” He smoothed the fur on her back, trying to soothe her.  
Aaron forced Zak to look at him. “It’s just a dream, Zak. These oppressions and attachments are trying to trick you. Wanna know why?”  
“Why?”  
The older man spoke softly, but sternly. “Because they know that this is something that will change your life for the better. They want you to be miserable.” He pressed a kiss to Zak’s forehead and stood slowly, stretching before he continued. “You’re a paranormal investigator,” he said, “You’re strong. And I know you can do this.” He held out his hand.  
Zak smiled up at the bearded man, taking his hand slowly as he kissed Gracie’s nose. She left his lap, allowing him to take Aaron’s help in standing up. “Thanks for being here.”  
“You don’t gotta thank me.” Aaron said with a chuckle as they exited the room. “Let’s get some breakfast and get you showered. Big day today, bro.”

Aaron sat at the island, playing tug-o-war with Gracie as Zak prepared his famous pancakes with whipped cream and syrup. They had discussed the entire plan of attack from start to finish. Nick hadn’t been contacted as Zak originally thought. In fact, the plan was only thought up of the day of their boys’ night. Zak was to try texting Nick first, and if that didn’t work, he would call to see if his number was in fact blocked. He hadn’t blocked Nick’s, but then again, they hadn’t spoken to one another in two years. No one knew how smoothly this plan would go, but their hopes were quite high. Almost too high, but it didn’t hurt to give it a go.  
“Get it, girl! Get it!” Aaron exclaimed playfully as he tug on the opposite end of the rope toy. Gracie in turn tugged with all her strength, growling and whining when Aaron slacked on his end. Zak couldn’t help but laugh at this. Gracie was practically his daughter and was super attached to him, so it made him happy to see her playing with others.  
“Pancakes are finally done,” the raven haired man announced, “Get ‘em while they’re hot.” He set a plate of 4 pancakes in front of the older man, whose stomach growled in anticipation.  
“I’m hungry like the wolf, dude.” Aaron said as he began to cut chunks off with his fork.  
Zak chuckled, digging into his own plate and letting a satisfied sigh escape him.  
The bearded man groaned approvingly. “Dude, these are amazing. How come you haven’t cooked like this for me before?”  
“You’re never here for breakfast.” Zak said simply.  
“Well, now I have to come over more often!” Aaron laughed, swallowing the mouthful of pancakes and taking another bite off his fork.   
Zak’s demeanor suddenly changed from content to something Aaron couldn’t exactly name. It worried him. “If it’s about today—”  
“No, don’t worry about it. I’m just overthinking again.” Zak assured him.  
“You do that too much, ya know.” Aaron replied, taking another bite.  
“You have whipped cream in your moustache.” Zak laughed.  
Aaron’s response was to lick anywhere on his face his tongue could reach like a dog, much to Zak’s amusement. They finished their breakfast quickly.

After showering and dressing in some fresh clothes, they decided to give texting Nick a try. But with Zak being the sensitive, overthinking, catastrophizing man that he is, it went less than smoothly.  
“Just say something you would normally say to one of us.” Aaron suggested.  
“What do I say to you guys?” Zak asked, fumbling around with his phone.  
“I dunno, something along the lines of, ‘Hey G, what’s up?’ Something casual.”  
The younger man sighed. “It’s been two years. You don’t just ask ‘What’s up?’ after two years, dude.”  
Aaron sat pensively, looking at the coffee table. It would be best if Billy or Jay were present, since they were both much more neutral in the situation than Aaron was. Aaron and Zak were part of the original crew, they had too much history with Nick, had gotten into more trouble, more fights. More dangerous things had happened before Billy and Jay came around. Things calmed after they came because they were so new to the paranormal field, Zak, Nick and Aaron didn’t want anything to happen that would compromise their becoming permanent members of the crew.  
“I’m gonna see if Bill or Jay can come by. Would that help?”  
Zak shrugged. The colour was starting to return to his cheeks as his nerves became more and more agitated. “I guess.”  
Aaron pulled out his phone and texted them both, and they immediately responded, confirming they would be able to make it over. “They’re coming. Be here in like ten minutes.”  
Zak nodded as he placed his phone on the table. This was all starting to hit him now full force and Aaron could feel it, but also felt that he had none of the right things to say and it made him feel helpless. He only hoped that Zak couldn’t feel his helplessness.

“Alright,” said Billy, “What exactly do you need some help with?”  
“I just… I don’t even know what to say to him.” Zak explained.  
Jay stepped in, “Why not try calling him first?”   
Everyone turned to look at him. “Why?” asked Aaron.  
“How do we know if your number is blocked when you text him? If you call, then we can find out.”  
Everyone nodded in agreement. Texting would be useless if Zak’s number was blocked.  
“Why don’t any of you guys try talking to him? How do you know he didn’t block all of you?” Zak inquired.  
“We don’t.” Aaron said, “None of us have tried contacting him because we didn’t want you to be upset.”  
“Oh.” Zak looked down.  
Placing a hand on his shoulder, Billy spoke softly, “Just give him a call. It’s worth a shot.”  
Looking into his friend’s hazel eyes, Zak found the warmth and companionship that he constantly craved and smiled. He knew he could do it with these three there by his side. He picked up his phone and quickly clicked on Nick’s number, putting in on speaker so that everyone could hear.  
It rang… Once… Twice… Three times… Four… Five…   
_“Hey, it’s Nick. Leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”_ Then a beep.  
Zak’s heart stopped in his chest as he quickly hung up.  
“Why didn’t you leave a message?!” Aaron exclaimed.  
“I panicked!” Zak retorted.  
“Hey, hey!” Jay interjected, “Calm down! Everyone just fucking relax!” Once all had quieted down, he continued, “You’re number isn’t blocked.”  
“He’s gonna see that I called him.” Zak responded nervously.  
“That’s fine. Now just send him a quick text explaining why you called.”  
“Because I wanted to see if he blocked my number?”  
“No, dumbass,” Jay rolled his eyes, “Because you want to talk. You want to sort all of this bullshit out. You miss him— don’t look at me like that, we all know you do. You miss him.”  
Zak couldn’t argue. He really did miss him the more he thought about it. And the more he thought about the feud, the more he realized just how stupid he had been. “I know…”  
“So tell him.”  
Zak unlocked his phone once more and quickly typed.  
_Hey. I know it’s been a long time, but I needed to do this. I want to talk. I want to make things better. I tried calling, but you didn’t answer. Please, Nick. Let’s talk. Text me or call me anytime._  
“Okay. Sent.” Zak said quietly.  
Everyone looked at the floor. No one knew what to do.  
“Good.” Aaron said, his voice deep and raspy.  
“Will you guys stay with me tonight? I really don’t want to be by myself if he responds. I won’t know what to do.” Zak pleaded. His eyes told the whole story.  
“Of course.” Jay said. Aaron and Billy nodded in agreement.  
“Thanks, guys…” He turned to Billy. “What should we do now?”  
“We drink some beers, have something to eat, just chill, watch some TV…” Billy responded, standing up to go to the kitchen. “And we wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I tried making this chapter longer and it ended up working out!... I hope, haha. I hope you guys enjoy it! Chapter 5 coming soon! 
> 
> ALSO: This chapter is dedicated to Gemma, who was especially looking forward to it. Thank you for following this story, hon! I really appreciate it!
> 
> And I appreciate all my other readers as well! Thank you!! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Developments, y'all!

Zak tossed and turned in his sleep, worrying Gracie, who was constantly whining at the foot of his bed. She took notice of his phone lighting up on the nightstand and became more agitated. She was so loud that she had managed to wake Aaron in the guest bedroom at 3 a.m., the witching hour. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly, turning on the light and forcing himself to stand. Careful not to wake Jay and Billy downstairs on the couch, Aaron sleepily crept his way towards Zak’s bedroom to see why Gracie was making such a ruckus to wake up her “Papa.”   
Could he be having another nightmare? Did Gracie see something and was trying to alert Zak or one of them? Anything was possible at this point considering the night before and all the occurrences from the past few years Zak had been living in this house.   
Aaron opened the door slowly, hoping that it wouldn’t creak and scare Zak awake. He was greeted by Gracie, who had quieted her whining down to just panting now. He patted her head and whispered, “Is he okay, girl?”  
They walked towards Zak’s bed and Aaron observed his sleeping form. Whatever was bothering Zak and Gracie seemed to have calmed down now and he smiled, his worries receding. Zak was now peacefully snoring away as he lay on his stomach.   
A light caught Aaron’s eye on the nightstand and he turned to see Zak’s phone showing a notification. His curiosity sparked, he slowly crept towards it to simply read who it was. He leaned in close, his eyes straining in the dark room, and when he saw who it was, he nearly jumped. He grabbed his chest over his heart and cupped another hand over his mouth to muffle his near scream. Zak shifted in his sleep at the soft, muffled exclamations from Aaron, but didn’t wake up.   
Grasping Gracie by the collar gently, he lead her out of the room and out to the hallway. “Papa’s fine, baby-girl. We’re gonna go see Bill and Jay.” He let her jog in front of him as he tiptoed down the steps. His emotions were running wild, but for the sake of Zak’s sleep he controlled them with all his might as he descended the steps.  
Finally reaching the bottom step, Aaron ran across the carpeted floor and grasped Jay by the shoulders, shaking him awake as he exclaimed in a whisper, “Dude! Wake up! Get your ass up!”  
Jay started awake, bringing his arms up to guard his head and face protectively. “What the fuck, man?!”   
Aaron simply smiled from ear to ear as he turned to shake Billy awake. “Bill, get your ass up! Get up!”  
Billy too started awake, bringing his arms up to his face protectively. “Jesus! What is it?!”  
“It’s Zak!” Aaron exclaimed.  
Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Jay inquired “Is he okay?”  
“For now, yeah,” the bearded man answered, “He’s still sleeping…”  
“What do you mean?” asked Billy, sitting up as he tossed the blanket off his legs.  
“He answered.”  
Billy and Jay sat staring at Aaron with wide eyes, causing an enormous smile to dance across his lips.   
“What did it say?” Billy whispered.  
A sudden shriek from upstairs caught their attention, chilling them to the bone and waking them further. Gracie began to bark frantically as she ran up the steps to Zak’s room, Billy, Aaron, and Jay following close behind.  
“I guess we’ll find out now!” Jay panted as they made their way down the hall.  
They finally reached the room, and opening the door, Aaron allowed Gracie to run into the room first, and he followed her with Billy and Jay trailing close behind. “Zak, what—”  
The three men stopped dead in their tracks in front of Zak’s bed. They were greeted with the sight of a shirtless Zak sitting up in his bed, his phone in his hand, the screen illuminating his tear-stained, flushed face. His hand was cupped over his mouth, his breathing heavy as he whimpered, the pathetic noises muffled by his hand. He hadn’t even noticed that the three men entered his room until he looked up from his phone because of Gracie’s barking.   
He croaked out, “I… He…” Gracie quieted down at hearing his voice, the room now filled with an eerie silence until Billy spoke.  
“He responded?” he asked.  
Zak nodded slowly.   
“Is it good or bad?” the older man asked.  
Zak handed the phone to Billy, who read the text to himself, his face becoming grim. He then handed it to Aaron, who gasped, putting his hand over his mouth as well. His eyes went wide as he handed the phone over to Jay, whose face became drained of all colouring. They all looked at Zak, who was wiping his eyes furiously. He hated crying in front of anyone. Anyone but Nick.  
Jay handed Zak his phone back, and the older man clicked the lock button and placed it on the pillow next to him.  
“I can’t believe this…” Zak whispered.  
Billy, always nurturing, moved to sit on the side of the bed. He placed a hand on Zak’s shoulder, his skin flushed with heat from the flooding emotions. “Everything is going to be fine. Now we know at least you two can talk things over. He hasn’t blocked your number, and that means something, man.”  
Zak looked down at his lap, nodding. He sniffled. “I’m going to try to sleep some more.” he whispered.  
“Okay. That’s a good idea.” the older man answered. “Want one of us to stay in here?”  
Zak shook his head as he shifted his position to lie down on his side facing Billy. “Can you get my melatonin? It’s in the top drawer.” He pointed to the nightstand.  
“Of course.” Then, opening the drawer, a sudden thought hit Billy. “When did you start using melatonin?”  
“About three years ago… When things started getting bad. Before we went to the ZoZo House.” Zak explained. He wiped a few stray tears away as he watched Gracie settle on the floor in between Zak and Billy.  
Billy nodded, taking out the blue and white bottle. He turned the cap open and popped a pill into his hand, which he handed to Zak along with a water bottle. “Are you gonna be okay? We can stay in here if you want.”  
Zak shook his head as he drank the water, washing down the small, white pill. His crying left him feeling drained and dehydrated. “I’ll be okay,” he said quietly as handed the water bottle to Billy to place it on the nightstand. “You guys need to sleep. You have shit to do when the sun comes up… I’m just gonna sleep the day away.”  
“Aren’t you gonna respond?” Jay asked.  
“I don’t know what to say.” Zak answered quietly. He could already feel his eyes drooping.  
“Well if you need anything,” Aaron said, moving to press a gentle kiss to the younger man’s forehead, “you know who to call.” He smiled, ruffling Zak’s hair. “Sleep well, bro.”  
Zak smiled back and closed his eyes. His last thought was of a possible response to Nick’s question...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter ended up being shorter than I thought. But hey, that leaves more open to the imagination! Hope you enjoy! Chapter 6 to come soon! Please don't kill me about the cliffhangers!! XD


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys decide to do something for Zak. Zak also decides it's time for some quality time with Gracie.

Aaron, Billy, and Jay decided to stay up a little while longer and think of things Zak could say in response to the message. They all knew now how Zak truly felt. They had been guessing for two years, but their hypotheses were correct. Even though Zak was so angry and depressed all the time and was even more agitated at Nick’s name being mentioned, he missed him so much it hurt. And knowing that Zak was very emotional in his vocabulary made things slightly easier for them as well. They came up with little poems, heartfelt confessions, etc, all things that Zak could edit later if he wished.   
Finally, however, the sun rose, filling the house with its warm, golden light. The three men all smiled at each other, believing this must be some other-worldly sign that things were going to be improving in the near future for them. So much had happened in the past two years, so much good, so much downright awful, but in the end, the Ghost Adventures crew was a family, and they always were there for each other, through thick and thin, no matter what, till death do they part.   
Aaron decided to try making breakfast for once and not just eating Cheerios and milk. He wanted something hearty and greasy and gooey that Zak could wake up to and smile at. So, he rummaged through the entire contents of Zak’s fridge, freezer, and pantry, pulling out anything that looked good. Soon, he was making stacks upon stacks of pancakes filled with gooey chocolate chips of all sorts, even M&Ms, and making eggs tossed up with several types of cheeses. Of course, he made enough to feed himself, Billy, and Jay, but was also making enough to give Zak practically a feast. He’d have at least enough to last him a few days if he ate it for every meal and snacked in between.  
The food was done, the coffee was made, and the three men filled themselves before leaving the house and returning to their respective homes. They made sure to text Zak and leave little notes around the house before doing so in case he got nervous. “You can always call us. We love you, man.” one of the notes said.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Zak was in a dead sleep. He had no dreams. It was simply peace. He snored softly, which Gracie didn’t mind. She enjoyed the fact that her “Papa” was okay and she loved him to pieces.   
Occasionally, Gracie would wake from her nap and look towards Zak, making sure all was still well with him. Once satisfied with her little inquiry, she laid her head back down on her paws and closed her eyes, relaxing back into another little nap.   
However, she couldn’t help but still worry herself out of her naps. She could sense the anxiety and the tension in her home and she didn’t like it one bit. Ever since “Papa” had come home acting strange, his speech slurred and his petting very lazy. Aaron even lashed out at him. But Gracie, always being the caring girl she is, wanted to help in anyway that she could. Even if her presence was all that it took, it made her happy to feel the good vibes radiating off of anyone who she could help feel better. 

Hours passed. It was nearly 2 p.m. before Zak was able to come out of his stupor. He felt refreshed and even was greeted enthusiastically by his girl. It was as if she could sense a new beginning, a positive one, for her “Papa.”   
He sat up in the bed, swinging his legs over the side and ruffled behind her ears, speaking in a higher pitched voice. “Who’s my girl? Who’s my good girl?” He kissed her head and nose, smothering her with affection that he knew he was withholding from her for the past two years with everything that had been going on between himself and Nick.   
Finally standing and stretching his long limbs and back, Zak yawned and groaned at the slight pain in releasing the tension in his muscles. He had really knocked out with that melatonin.   
Suddenly, a wonderful, intoxicating aroma filled his nostrils and he couldn’t help but fill up his lungs to their full capacity. “What’s going on down there, Gracie?” he asked, looking into her loving eyes.  
Opening the door to his bedroom, Zak followed the smell, but kept in mind how scarily quiet the house now was. The guys probably had all gone home. But obviously, they didn’t leave without leaving something for Zak. He ended up finding all the little notes they had scattered about the house, Gracie following very close behind. He was too busy reading all the wonderful things they had to say that he almost forgot about the amazing smells coming from his kitchen. Upon walking in, his jaw dropped at the sight. Stacks upon stacks of pancakes with almost every kind of chocolatey treat and mountains of cheesy, gooey eggs. “All for me?” he asked the air around him.  
He walked to the cabinet, pulling out a plate, and filled it with the breakfast cooked by his three greatest friends. As he finally took a bite of the pancakes, he saw stars as the flavour was absorbed by his senses. He hadn’t had anything this good in what seemed like forever. He wondered immediately who had cooked it, until he saw a small sticky-note beneath the plate.   
_Hope they’re as good as yours. ~Aaron_  
Zak smiled warmly. So Aaron could cook after all… He continued his meal, trying the eggs next. They were just as amazing as he thought they would be. He looked down at Gracie, who was lying contentedly by his side. “I haven’t felt this good in years, baby.” He returned his attention to his breakfast, finishing every crumb.

After showering and getting dressed, Zak decided it would be a good idea to take Gracie out for a little walk around Vegas. They loved spending time together, but with everything going on, they hadn’t had any quality Papa/baby-girl time. So he grabbed her black leather leash and clipped it to her collar, helped her into the car, and headed out into the city.  
He definitely missed this time with her, and he could tell she missed it, too. She sniffed the ground intently, and greeted nearly every passerby. A few small kids came up to her and laughed uncontrollably when she flopped over, asking for her belly to be scratched. “You can rub her belly if you like!” Zak said, bending down as to not be so intimidating to such small kids. They rubbed her belly with glee, giggling at the way her legs shook. Their mother thanked Zak for letting them play with her, and went they went on their way.   
The two finally found their favourite pet store and walked inside. Nearly everyone who worked or shopped there knew Zak and Gracie, and greeted them as old friends. Gracie also had a few regular friends that she saw there whenever they went there. They sniffed each other’s butts (as dogs all do when greeting one another) and wagged their tails and yipped happily when they recognized each other.   
“Okay, baby, let’s leave them alone. We gotta find you a new squeaky toy.” Zak laughed, saying goodbye to their friends.   
It was now 4 p.m. As they searched through the aisle for a new toy, Zak had a few sudden realizations. He floated away into his own thoughts…  
He had talked to Nick for the first time in two years and had gotten a response. Although it was short it was definitely meaningful and left a lot to the imagination. He was happier than he had been in the past two years as well. All because of one little interaction with the younger man. He didn’t even know what Nick had meant exactly by the text, but he could only guess it was something positive, with the best intentions. That was enough for him. He decided that the best thing to do was to talk to him, either on the phone or in person.   
Smiling to himself, he brought himself back to the present and picked up a small purple toy. It looked similar to the evil minions from the “Minion Movie,” and he knew Gracie had been eyeing it. “Happy early birthday, Gracie.” he said, kissing her on the nose.  
They walked to the cash register and he handed the toy to the cashier, who was a pretty girl, obviously younger than him, and much shorter, probably mid-twenties. Her hair was long and brown with that new, trendy ombre style, getting lighter and lighter until the ends were completely bleached. Her eyes were large and blue, contrasting with her tanned skin. He looked at her nametag. Harmony. She was extremely his type.   
But suddenly, he felt so unattracted to her and he had no idea. He could see the looks she was giving him, but he was so unresponsive.   
“Hi there, how are you?” Harmony said, her voice light.  
“Good, you?” Zak replied.  
“Can’t complain.” she winked, scanning the toy. She looked at Gracie and smiled brightly, showing pearly white teeth. “Who’s this beauty?”   
“That’s Gracie,” he said, smiling with pride, “You can pet her if you like. She loves people.”  
Coming out from behind the counter, she excitedly began to ruffle behind Gracie’s ears as she made cooing noises of praise. Gracie was also unresponsive to the affection, and seemed to know that this Harmony was only being playful with her to get attention from her “Papa.”   
After some time, Zak became a bit annoyed. “How much?” he asked nonchalantly.  
Harmony barely looked up. “What’s that?”  
“How much?” he asked again, this time showing a bit of his agitation.  
Picking up on this, Harmony smiled politely and moved back to her position behind the counter. “$9.75.”   
Zak handed her his debit card calmly and she scanned it, pressing a few buttons and handing it back to him. Her smile began to recede as she searched his face for any response to her looks and actions and found absolutely nothing. She gave him his receipt as he picked up the toy. “Have a good one.”  
He nodded to her, turning back to Gracie and speaking sweet nothings to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually really liked writing this chapter. I love writing about Zak and Gracie's relationship.
> 
> Next chapter to come soon! Thanks for sticking with this story!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zak finally comes up with a plan to rekindle his relationship with Nick.

Standing at the stove, Zak cooked ravioli for dinner, sticking to his mother’s recipe that she had taught him before he had gone off to college. Gracie had already eaten her dinner when he started cooking and was now resting under a chair tucked neatly at the island.   
Realizing he needed salt after tasting the sauce, Zak turned to the left, but found that the salt wasn’t there. Instead, he found a little letter that he hadn’t seen before. After examining it to decipher the handwriting and finding it was Jay’s, he read it. He blushed madly, realizing that it was a suggestion of what he should say to Nick.   
Nick…  
He hadn’t responded to Nick yet.  
“Maybe I shouldn’t…” he turned to Gracie. “Not on the phone anyways.” He looked into her eyes long and hard. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking, girl?”  
She let her tongue fall out of her mouth as she perked up.   
He smiled as he crumpled the paper, tossing it in the trash. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, returning to his ravioli. 

The night was spent researching different ways to try to rekindle his relationship with Nick. He could send him a letter, but he wasn’t good at writing. His vocabulary wasn’t of such a variety that he would be able to write down all his feelings in a letter. He could send him a work of art. But Zak wasn’t artistically inclined. The last thing he made was a wobbly pot in a ceramics course from high school he didn’t even need to graduate. He could send him a video or FaceTime with him, but it wasn’t the same as really talking in person…   
Zak’s eyes went wide as he came to a sudden realization for what seemed like the millionth time since this whole situation began. He knew what had to be done and he was going to get on it first thing in the morning. He would tell the guys, get their opinions, but he would still do it no matter what they thought. He knew what had to be done. It had to be done.  
“It has to be done,” he whispered to himself as he closed his eyes. He smiled until he fell asleep. 

This was the first night in years that he has slept soundly. Waking at seven a.m., he felt reborn, regenerated, completely renewed. Zak opened his eyes and smiled at the ceiling. He _smiled_. Sitting up, he stretched his arms up, which also helped stretch his back. Looking down at his side, he saw Gracie doing the same, stretching her back in the same manner as a cat. He smiled down at her as well, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and extending an arm out to pet her fondly.   
“Big day, today, Gracie,” he said, “We gotta tell the guys.”  
After showering and getting dressed in some basketball shorts and a t-shirt, Zak got himself a bowl of cereal and called Aaron, Billy, and Jay in a four-way call, asking them to come over as quick as they could.   
Finishing his cereal, Zak brought his bowl and spoon to the sink, letting the water fill it so that it could be washed later at some point. Turning off the water, Zak turned and leaned his back and palms against the edge of the counter. He looked down at his bare feet against the white tiled floor and felt the anxiety pooling in his belly as the events of the past few days hit him full force again. He was really going through with all of this. He had contacted Nick. He realized he really did need him, and maybe Nick needed him, too, but he couldn’t be sure exactly. So all he could do was wait for the guys to get there so he could discuss his plan. 

The afternoon came about and Aaron, Billy, and Jay all showed up at the same time in the driveway. They exited their vehicles slowly, taking a few deep breaths as they looked at each other. Zak had informed them that he had a plan for how to respond to what Nick had said two days ago.   
“So I guess he’s not taking any of our advice?” Billy said.  
“Nope,” Jay said, looking at the ground. He pursed his lips together.  
Aaron sighed. “Let’s just get this over with. You know how stubborn he is.”  
They walked together to the door and Billy knocked. He rocked back on his heels, looking at the ground. They all loved Zak with all their hearts, honest to God. But he could be getting himself in so much trouble right now if he decided not to take things slowly and take their advice. They didn’t want him pushing Nick too far, and if he did it could jeopardize this whole plan.   
The door opened and they were greeted by a brightly smiling Zak and an even more excited Gracie, who jumped up on them, trying to give them “kisses.”   
“Hey, come on in,” Zak said, patting Aaron on the back as he entered. He did the same with Jay and Billy as they all proceeded to the couch.   
Once settled with a few bottles of water to go around, the four men all squared themselves away with Zak’s plan. He explained everything in complete detail, leaving no stone unturned.   
“Are you absolutely sure about this?” Billy asked.  
“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.” Zak said honestly.   
“And what if this backfires?” Aaron asked.   
“Then we’ll move on the best we can,” Zak answered, “but I don’t think that it will. I’ve put so much thought into this. I’ve done this planning with a clear mind. I can assure you of that.”  
Nodding, Aaron and Billy looked towards the youngest member of the group. “What do you think, Jay?” Billy inquired.  
Jay thought of his words carefully for a moment and finally said, “I think that it’s a good plan and I hope it works out. It’s a sweet gesture you’re doing, Zak.”  
Smiling, Zak felt tears well in his eyes. He sniffled, wiping his nose on the sleeve of his shirt. He found the others to be all smiles as well and he hugged each one of them warmly, soaking up all their love, affection, and support. He knew he was the luckiest guy in the world to have such amazing friends. 

The next morning was one of the hardest days of Zak’s life. He had done everything he had to in advance, everything was in place, but he still felt so unprepared. _It’s just nerves,_ he thought to himself, _You’re just nervous…_ Plus, he would be having to watch the season 13 premiere alone...  
Aaron, Billy, and Jay were just a phone call, a text, or a FaceTime away. He still had them and he always would. But if he lost Nick… the hole in his heart would never be filled. No one could take his place.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zak's plan is in effect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is wicked short, but in my head, this thing goes like a movie. Things just kinda happen quickly... I really hope it's okay haha. Leave comments and kudos if you like it! Next chapter coming soon!

The season 13 premiere, complete with the live tweeting, was a huge success. Zak couldn’t believe the hysteria it caused all over social media. He retweeted and responded to questions until his thumbs were sore. He felt the different emotions all over again as he watched certain parts of the episode, especially being inside the mine with the ladies. He had almost called out for Nick during that investigation as well and the fact that he had to hold someone’s hand while walking through there embarrassed him even more.  
He texted the guys to get their reactions to everything and found himself to be in good spirits by the time he had gone to bed and confident about his plan. The live tweeting was successful and it seemed everyone had enjoyed the premiere. He knew it would be a hit with the fans, but he didn’t remember the GAC Family ever being so large.  
After getting settled in his giant king-size bed, he kissed Gracie on the nose and said a silent prayer that everything would go well tomorrow…

The next day was a completely different story. Zak felt he had no idea how he had gotten to this point. He knew in his right mind how all of this had come about, but his anxiety was flaring up, making it difficult to breathe and supply oxygen to his brain to calm himself. His respiratory problems always acted up when he was anxious…  
Zak’s journey was shorter than he thought it would be. He listened to music for a good portion of the time and the rest of it was spent sleeping. Most of the people he came into contact with seemed to sense his anxiety and left him alone. He did feel bad about pushing all the fans away when they approached him, but this was not the time for taking pictures and being social. He was under some of the most pressure he’s ever felt in his entire life and though he appreciated distractions from his anxiety, for some reason, the fans made it worse. Perhaps it was that he could sense in the back of their minds, he knew they were thinking about what happened between him and Nick.  
As he sat at a small coffee shop and took in the aroma of his hot chocolate, he suddenly received a text from Jay.  
_Hey, hope everything is alright so far. You know you can text or call us any time._  
Zak smiled at the message. Jay wasn’t usually an emotional guy, and this one message really showed that he was trying to be more open. Being a paranormal investigator, you have to change. You have to alert others of your emotions and other changes.  
He quickly typed out a response.  
_I know. Thanks g. I’ll let you guys know what happens._  
Zak sipped his hot chocolate and let his head fall back as he swallowed the warm liquid down. He closed his eyes, letting the warmth flow through him to his freezing fingertips. He wished he hadn’t worn cut-off gloves in the middle of fall. 

Zak looked up at the sky as he drove down the quiet street. It was the best time of the year around these parts, and the leaves had turned all different shades of red, orange, yellow, and burnt brown. The sky was a sweet, serene blue with a few clouds scattered here and there, and the sight and the feel of the cool breeze with the warm sun on his face made him relax into the seat. He breathed easier, the smell of the cold, fresh air filling his burning lungs, and he let himself be absorbed into the moment…  
… and then he was there.  
Just as suddenly as he was gone, he was there. He stared up at the beautiful white building. There were pumpkins with generic faces carved into them sitting on the steps staring at him. It made him smile. He missed being able to carve pumpkins when he still lived up north as a child. “Las Vegas doesn’t have those very often,” he said to himself solemnly as he took the key out of the ignition and exited the car.  
Standing now before the house, he hesitated a moment before taking some deep breaths. He was now dependent on the cold air to calm the blood rushing through his veins. He stepped up the five cement steps past the invitingly orange pumpkins, feeling more welcomed by their smiles, and put on his “face” before knocking three times on the door.  
Zak held his breath. He didn’t expect an answer, let alone a welcoming one. He looked at the ground and bounced on the balls of his feet. He noticed how there was some dust on his combat boots from the last time he had worn them out on a hike with Gracie.  
Suddenly, the door opened. Brown eyes met blue. Zak’s breath hitched and he felt himself floating. “Nick,” he breathed, his eyes filling with tears.  
“That premiere was insane, dude.” said the familiar, brightly smiling face as the warm body pulled Zak into a tight hug.  
Waves of emotion flooded over Zak and he finally let everything out. He latched on tightly, burying his face into the broad, muscular shoulder as he sobbed, “I never thought I’d see you again.”  
Rubbing soothing circles into the raven haired man’s back, Nick felt a few tears escape his own eyes. “Me either.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zak and Nick talk things over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter also went really fast. I'm just not very good at writing, I know... I'm sorry. I hope you guys like it anyway...

“I’m gonna get a beer,” Nick called from the kitchen, “You want one?”  
Zak sat on the white couch gently, thinking that he would dirty it even if he was spotless. “Sure!” he called back as he settled into the cushions.  
He looked about the room. White walls with pictures of Nick’s daughters, Annabelle and Chloe, vases scattered here and there about the multiple wooden bureaus, and a single giant wedding portrait that hung about the elegant fireplace filled Zak with a sort of contentment that he hadn’t felt in quite some time. He remembered this house well, though he noticed a few changes. For one, Chloe was getting so big! He remembered when she had just been born and how excited Nick was. It warmed his heart to see Nick with his girls… He also found that they had gotten another dog, a little black and white chihuahua that was very skittish and refused to approach Zak, but followed Nick everywhere he went.  
Suddenly, Zak retreated back into his mind. He’s had issues with zoning out ever since he was a young child, but it seemed to get worse in stressful situations. Of course, he didn’t really understand why he was zoning out right now. He was feeling content and happy. Maybe it was the impending conversation…  
“Here— you okay?” Nick said.  
Zak blinked, shaking his head and adjusting himself in the seat. “Yeah, sorry,” He took a sip of the beer. “Thanks.”  
“You’re welcome.” Nick sat on the couch next to him, close, but not too close that they were touching shoulders, not like they used to sit. “I had a feeling you would be coming…”  
The older man looked at him and smiled. “Yeah?”  
“We’ve always had that sort of telepathic ability. Ever since we first met, remember?” Nick laughed.  
Zak nodded. The first time they met it seemed as if they already knew each other’s names.   
“That’s why I had Veronique take the girls to visit her parents for the weekend. You and I can talk things over alone.”   
There was something about the way Nick said that that made him think there was some sort of ulterior motive. What on Earth could he be suggesting by that? Zak would have loved to see Veronique and the girls, even though he knew that Nick’s wife wasn’t very fond of him since the feud had begun.   
“Oh…” Zak muttered. He took another sip of his beer.  
Nick sat back against the couch, the beer in one hand resting on his knee and the other hand’s long fingers tapping against the couch. “Maybe we should start now.” he said softly.  
Zak looked up, his eyes earnest and scared, but he knew it had to be done. “Now or never.”  
“Do you want to start or should I?” the younger man asked. His brown eyes seemed to sparkle in the light that broke through the white curtains.   
“I guess I will…” the raven haired man said quietly, trying to put his words together, “I guess I should start by saying how sorry I am. I know the investigations were getting more and more dangerous, and you have a family to take care of. I wasn’t thinking about the girls…” Zak’s throat began to burn. He knew he would start crying if he kept talking.  
As though Nick could actually sense what Zak was thinking and feeling, he spoke. “I just… I couldn’t believe how you were acting, dude. You were just so full of yourself, and getting worse as time went on.” He rubbed his forehead. “You were using ouija boards and doing more rituals that you knew were dangerous. I was getting more attachments and they were scaring my kids! I had to get away from it!”   
“I know, I know!” Zak exclaimed, “I didn’t mean for them to only target you!”   
“Well they did!” Nick shouted back, “You can’t control who the spirits want!”  
“Nick, if I could make them choose me over you, I would! You know that!”   
Nick looked into Zak’s eyes, startled by what he had said. He knew that Zak cared deeply about him, but he hadn’t heard anything like that ever come out of Zak’s mouth. He never knew Zak could ever feel like that about anyone…  
“Zak… I just… You’re still going into those dangerous places and doing worse and worse things. You keep taunting them, eventually they’ll square up and hurt you or someone else. _Bad._ ”  
Zak took another sip of his beer and looked at the floor. “It’s not like there’s an endless supply of haunted locations.”  
“You can always reinvestigate places. Like what we did with Bobby Mackey’s or the Winchester Mystery House.” Nick tried to be gentle.  
The older man chuckled. “Most of them don’t want us to come back.”  
“I can understand why.”  
It hurt to hear Nick say that the way he did, but Zak knew he deserved it. He was reckless, and getting more and more reckless over the years.   
Zak sighed. “I’m sorry, Nick. I don’t know what else I can say.”  
“I know. I accept your apology and I forgive you, but you know I can’t come back. I was in too deep with ‘Paranormal Lockdown’ way before you guys even found out...” Nick said.  
His stomach dropped through the floor. “The investigations aren’t the same. I don’t feel safe anymore. I feel so out of control. The spirits know…” Zak let the tears fall as he sniffled. “When it gets really bad… I call out for you... and I get flashbacks.”  
Nick’s eyes went wide. Was Zak really that bad? “Of what?”  
“The Goldfield Hotel. When we got separated, remember?” Zak looked up at the younger man.  
The look in Zak’s eyes broke Nick’s heart. He wanted so badly to just hold him close and protect him from everything. “I remember…” He took a sip of his beer.  
“Nick… I miss you.”   
Zak was never one to really be sappy, but he had no idea how to get his message through to Nick as to just how much the younger man meant to him.  
“I miss you, too, man.” Nick said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He could feel the heat and emotion radiating from Zak’s body.  
“Please… Stay in my life? Don’t leave me…” Zak pleaded, looking deep into the large, brown orbs.  
Nick didn’t have to think about it. “Of course.”   
Zak whimpered, pulling the younger man into a hug. The pain in his heart was no longer there. The hole inside of his soul was filled. He let his hands rub up and down Nick’s back, feeling the fabric as it kept him in the moment, kept him from drifting away from himself again. He buried his face into the younger man’s broad shoulder and took in his scent, the cologne and body wash, the hair spray… It was still the same Nick that he had gotten attached to at their first meeting.   
Nick let his own tears fall from his eyes. He held on tightly to the older man, his arm gripping about his waist tightly and his free hand coming up to gently hold to the nape of Zak’s neck. Fighting urges to press a kiss to Zak’s cheek, Nick let his own cheek rest against the side of Zak’s neck.   
Both men were content. They could have sat like that for eternity, but they knew that this could not be comfortable for that long and both chuckled to themselves at the same thought as they reluctantly released each other.   
Zak wiped at his own eyes with his sleeves, then reached to Nick’s face and wiped away his tears with his thumbs. Both men smiled warmly and picked up their beers, toasting and downing the rest.  
Nick sniffled. “Now that that’s all behind us… Wanna go for a drive into the city? I know a good pizza place.”  
Zak laughed as he gave Nick his empty bottle, both of them standing at the same time. “Sure.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is growing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this story is nearly finished. I'm so glad you guys have all been enjoying it c: Thank you for reading!

Nick’s car cruised smoothly down the suburban street into the city of Boston. It had been quite some time since Zak had been there, and Nick was glad to have some company going to his favourite pizza place. Zak and Nick had waited for a moment like this for over two years. Neither thought that they would ever be sharing a casual car ride into the city ever again…  
Looking over at the younger man, Zak felt himself becoming shy and giddy like a schoolgirl… And it confused him beyond belief. Yes, he had just won back one of his closest friends. Yes, this was one of the greatest moments of his life. But why was he feeling this way towards Nick? Why was he noticing how beautiful his face was? How his eyes shone in the sunlight and how red his nose and cheeks were from the cold? Why on Earth was he noticing how strong Nick’s hands looked and wondering how soft and warm his lips must be?...  
Zak looked at the ground wide-eyed. He tried to shake the thoughts out of his head, but the city about him caught his attention. Jaw dropping, Zak immediately lost his train of thought and was engulfed by the sights around him. Buildings that seemed to touch the clouds, silver and metallic and gleaming in the sun. Windows reflected the skies above and threw it back a darker blue. He smiled, a small sigh, almost a giggle escaping his throat. This day couldn’t get any better.  
Nick looked over at the noise to find Zak staring out the window at all the skyscrapers, mouth open in an awe-filled smile. Nick felt his face flush at Zak’s reaction as he chuckled. “Don’t see these in Vegas much, huh?”  
Zak only shook his head as he put his hand on the window, trying to get closer to the world outside the moving car.   
Nick looked back out at the road in front of him. He felt himself thinking about how different Zak looked since the last time he’d seen him. His face was definitely different. He wasn’t thirty anymore. He was almost a forty-year-old man. But damn, if Nick didn’t think he was absolutely stunning.  
_Stunning?!_  
Yes… Nick thought Zak was beautiful. He loved the way his eyes sparkled when he got excited or when he smiled. He loved his voice. He even loved the stupid spiky hair. He loved every single thing about this man and he was just realizing now that he could literally be falling for him…  
_This can’t be happening,_ the younger man thought to himself, _This can’t be happening… No… I have a wife and two kids…_  
Nick tried desperately to get himself to focus back on the road, singing the “Campfire Song” from Spongebob in his head over and over again, just as his daughters always did. It made him smile, remembering their voice shouting along to the words…  
But neither man could shake these thoughts or feelings as they drove deeper into the city, and as it began to rain, the only thing that entered their minds was cuddling together for warmth if they got too cold and the car broke down, sharing loving looks and kissing each other deeply...  
Finally pulling up to the restaurant, Nick parked close to the entrance so that they could get in and get out fast in the downpour that had started. “Come on! Fast!” Nick shouted over a clap of thunder, laughing as he pulled up his grey hood.  
Zak ran under the awning, waiting for Nick to lock the car. He shivered as he tried to rub his arms. “I should’ve worn a thicker sweatshirt!” he said over another clap of thunder.  
Nick laughed as he covered his head with an arm as he ran. “I should have worn something with a hood!” And the two were still laughing as they entered the pizza place and walked up to the counter.  
The man taking their orders, which Zak saw was also named Nick after seeing his nametag, greeted his Nick ( _his Nick?_ ) like an old friend, and was introduced to Zak and greeted the older man just as warmly. “What can I get you two?”  
“Let’s get two cheese pizzas.” Zak said enthusiastically. He felt like a kid in a candy shop. He didn’t often let himself indulge in junk food (at least, _he_ thought of pizza as fitting into the junk food category), but today was a very special occasion and if he wanted to eat like a pig, that was perfect. He could always work it off.  
Nick smiled at Zak. He had known this man for over ten years and pizza was definitely something that was a weakness of his. And his weakness only served to make him even cuter. The younger man looked down as he blushed at the thought.  
“We’ll have those out in about a half hour.” said the other Nick from behind the counter.  
The younger man turned to Zak bravely. He didn’t know what he would do if he looked into those icy blue eyes, so he stared at the brim of his hat. “We can wait here or go somewhere else if you want.”  
Zak smiled. “Let’s wait here. I love the smell of pizza cooking.”  
The two found a small two-seated table away from everyone else, right next to a cool window where they watched the droplets run down as if in a race. Nick’s fingers absentmindedly traced the letter Z through the condensation over and over again, making zig-zag patterns all over his side of the window.  
Zak, meanwhile, took out his phone and sent the guys a message in the group chat.  
_We’re getting pizza right now. Text you all later._  
Looking up, he saw Nick had been observing him and smiled, his cheeks burning as he tucked the phone back into his pocket. He placed his hands on the table in front of him, interlocking his long, slim fingers. “So… How have the girls been?”  
Nick smiled. His two greatest loves in this world were his children. “Annabelle’s doing really well. She still loves dancing. And Chloe,” he chuckled, slouching over the table to get closer to Zak as he spoke, “She’s so funny. Annabelle was so quiet when she was two, but Chloe is just this bundle of energy and laughs. She makes people smile wherever she goes.”  
Zak’s eyes twinkled as a smiled danced across his lips. It warmed his heart to see how happy Nick was when he talked about his daughters. Zak missed them like crazy, and even remembered when Annabelle and Chloe were both born, how happy and excited Nick was, how he cried tears of joy at hearing their first cries, how he nearly broke down as he kissed their foreheads when the doctor presented them to him…  
_Why can’t we have our own?_ Zak thought to himself, but immediately felt himself becoming lightheaded at the thought. This was his friend, and what’s more, he’s married with two kids.  
“That’s awesome,” Zak said finally, “I’m glad they’re doing well.” He looked out the window briefly. The rain was starting to get lighter, nearly a drizzle now. Zak bit his lip nervously. “How’s Veronique?”  
Nick suddenly felt like his face was cold. “She’s doing well. Her mom is sick right now, but she’s getting better.”  
Zak smiled. “That’s good.” He looked down.  
Nick smiled knowingly. “You want to know if she hates you.”  
The older man looked up. Nick’s heart sank when he looked into what seemed to be the face of a child. “Does she?”  
Nick shook his head. “No. She hates the situation.”   
Zak’s shoulders fell as he relaxed. He didn’t realize just how tense his body was until that moment. His stomach growled and his hand immediately went to try, unsuccessfully, to stifle the embarrassing noise. “Sorry.”  
“It’s fine,” said the younger man, whose stomach also began to make noise, causing them both to laugh.  
Nick wondered about how Zak had been doing. “How’s life in Vegas?”  
The raven haired man sighed. “I guess it’s the same. The same heat, the same hustle and bustle… The same old noise…”  
“Are you doing okay?”  
Zak looked up and smiled. “No… Not for the past two years with all the shit that went on between you and me.”  
Nodding, the brown eyed man felt a pang of guilt. He could have made an effort sooner to contact Zak and talk things over, but he supposed that everything happens for a reason, when it’s supposed to happen and not a moment sooner or later. “I’m sorry.”  
“I’m okay now, though. Now that you and I have talked. We’re okay.” Zak reached over and patted Nick’s hand, sending shockwaves through both of them.   
They looked into each other's’ eyes for a few moments, each of them leaning forward, but their attention was pulled towards the world outside as they heard screaming and saw two teenage girls waving at them hysterically and nearly crying with happiness. The two men laughed and waved back at the girls, who must have been so excited to see the two of them had made amends. 

“This is so good, dude,” Zak said as he chewed through his third slice, “I’m so glad you told me about that place.”   
Nick nodded as he swallowed a bite. “They’re amazing, right? I’ve been going there since I was little and it hasn’t changed a bit. Still the best recipe.”  
Zak powered through his third slice easily and went to grab a fourth, much to Nick’s amusement. Zak almost never got to pig out. Then again, he never let himself.   
Then the younger man noticed some sauce on Zak’s cheek and chuckled, which grabbed Zak’s attention. “What’s so funny?” he asked, smiling as he chewed.  
Nick motioned to his own face with his finger. “You got some stuff.”  
Zak’s hand moved to the wrong cheek, wiping at it but finding nothing.   
Rolling his eyes, Nick moved closer to Zak and licked his thumb, moving to cup the older man’s face and wipe the sauce away as they looked into each other’s eyes for what seemed like the millionth time that day. Nick could feel and see the warmth radiating from Zak, and Zak could feel and see it in Nick, too.   
Just as Nick was about to pull his hand away, Zak grabbed it with his free hand and took his thumb between his lips, never breaking eye contact, and sucked the sauce from it, eliciting a slight moan and a deep red blush across Nick’s face and down his neck into his shirt. The younger man looked down at the floor as he felt a heat pooling in his belly.  
Zak could feel the younger man’s embarrassment and arousal, and released his thumb from his lips, letting the hand fall to Nick’s lap. Zak smiled, blushing back at the brown eyed man before both started to eat their pizza again.  
“I’m sorry,” Zak said softly.  
Nick shook his head. “It’s okay,” he said, picking up another slice, “I mean… it’s pretty good sauce.”  
Zak chuckled. He knew what Nick was really thinking… He could see it in the way he blushed.   
In spite of the embarrassment they both felt, the two men locked eyes slowly once more and knew in that moment, as blue bore into brown, what they truly meant to each other, and that neither would let the other go for as long as they both should live.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy endings...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna say, first of all, thank you so much for reading. I know this is such a short ending, but... I just saw it this way. 
> 
> Thank you again c:

The guest bedroom was somewhat drafty, but with the heat that they had created, the brisk, fall air was welcomed as it kissed their flushed skin. Zak rested his head on Nick’s chest, listening to his heartbeat as it gradually slowed to a more natural pace. They were both breathing heavily still, silly smiles plastered on their faces. They took a glance at the same, and Nick chuckled, kissing Zak’s lips softly. “That was amazing.”  
Zak traced circles on Nick’s skin with his index finger. “Mmhmm…” he hummed. “Can’t believe how quickly we ended up like this.”  
Nick’s arms went protectively around Zak’s shoulders, holding him closer. “Me either,” he chuckled, “Only thing that matters is that you’re here with me. And I’m never going to let you go again.”  
The older man’s only response was an elated squeak and his arms tightened around Nick’s midsection, causing him to laugh softly and press a kiss to Zak’s forehead.   
Suddenly, Zak remembered his dream. “Nick…”  
“What is it?” the younger man asked, sensing the tenseness in Zak’s body and the anxiety in his voice.   
Zak’s sigh was shaky, but he continued. “I had a dream not too long ago…”  
“It’s okay,” Nick said, running his hand through Zak’s messy hair, “What happened?”  
“The opposite of all of this… You came to _my_ house. We made up, we hugged… But when I pulled back, you weren’t you…” The older man began to shake.  
“Who was I?” Nick asked, concerned and slightly afraid of the answer.  
Zak sniffled and wiped his eyes. “A demon…”  
“Zak…” The brown eyed man tightened his grip around his blue eyed lover protectively. “It was just a dream. It can’t hurt you. Whatever that was… It definitely wasn’t me.”  
“You wouldn’t hurt me, right?” Zak asked, and the childlike tone in his voice broke Nick’s heart.  
“Never.” Nick whispered.  
Zak looked up at the younger man with tears in his eyes. “Thank you.”   
Nick only smiled at the blue eyed man and kissed him passionately. Zak kissed back with fervor, until a sudden thought hit him and he pulled back suddenly with fear in his eyes.   
“What is it?” Nick asked, concerned.  
The older man’s mouth opened and closed as though he was trying to speak, but physically could not push the words from his mouth.   
“Zak,” Nick said, placing his hands gently on either side of his lover’s face, “It’s okay. Talk to me.”  
Closing his eyes, the raven haired man breathed deeply as tears fell down his cheeks. He reopened his eyes slowly, blue meeting brown, and spoke in a frightened, desperate, whisper. “What are we going to do?”  
Nick was confused. He furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”  
“Nick… We’re in love. We’re lovers. And you’re married with kids.”  
The younger man issued a frustrated sigh. He was so consumed with his love for Zak this whole time that he completely forgot about his family. “Right…” His hands fell from Zak’s face and went to his own, rubbing his cheeks.   
Zak sniffled as he sat up next to Nick. “And I know you love Veronique. I wouldn’t ever make you leave her or the girls.”  
Nick nodded. “Yeah.” He took Zak’s hand in his own. “But I love you, too.”  
The older man looked up, searching Nick’s face and smiling when he finally found what he was looking for. “We’re gonna be okay, right?”  
Nick kissed Zak’s forehead and smiled. “Of course, babe.”  
“I just can’t believe that we ended up like this.” Zak laughed.  
Nick shrugged. “Well… Everything happens for a reason. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Midnight had come about quicker than Zak thought. He hadn’t slept a wink since Nick drifted off. The older man carefully untucked himself from Nick’s embrace and rolled over to the other side of the bed. Picking up his phone and turning the brightness down, he frantically texted the guys in a group chat.  
_Hey, everything went perfect. I won’t be home for about a week. Tons of catching up to do. Text you guys soon._  
Zak almost put his phone down, but went to read the texts he and Nick had exchanged again that started this whole wild, amazing journey. His heart melted and he smiled.  
 _Hey. I know it’s been a long time, but I needed to do this. I want to talk. I want to make things better. I tried calling, but you didn’t answer. Please, Nick. Let’s talk. Text me or call me anytime._  
 _Zak… you still love me, right?_

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first GAC fanfic. I really hope you guys like it.


End file.
